Influence of Foaming Agents on the Properties of Foamed Concretes Having Various Densities

Four types of foaming agents, including Alcohol Ethoxy Sulfate (AES), Alpha Olefin Sulfonate (AOS), Vegetable Soap (VS), and Fe-Protein (FP), are widely used in the construction field. These have different surface tensions and viscosities in water of the same concentration, affecting the flow speed of liquid, size and distribution of foam, and foam stability. However, there is a lack of data regarding the properties of foam concrete using various foam agents. The purpose of this study is to investigate influence of foaming agents on the properties of foamed concretes with various densities. We find that the foaming agent type has little effect on the density, compressive strength, and thermal conductivity of foam concrete, but considerably affects the unit weight of foam, flow and flexural strength of foamed concrete. While almost all properties of foam concrete are affected by density in fresh or hardened state, the potential energy changed by slurry density and the viscosity of foam are dominant factors in the flowability of foam slurry.